Today at the Asian market I picked up an interesting package of food. There are 3 logs that look like mochi or fish paste rolled out flat (about 1/8 inch thick), sprinkled with slivers of green onion and tiny dried shrimp and then rolled up into thin logs. They were in the refrigerated section on a white styrofoam tray with saran wrap over them - no label of any kind. They were only $2.49 and when I asked the cashier what they were she had no idea. I bought them anyway because they looked fun!

They are very smooth and white. When you press them they feel very firm. Do you have any idea what they might be ... and then of course, the best way to eat them?

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Does it smell like fish by any chance? I am guessing it is a form of nerimono, a term which covers any fish-paste product such as kamaboko, satsumaage, and so on. It is probably steamed, which is why it's white. If it is nerimono, you can try just simply panfrying it or grilling it, and serving it with soy sauce, plus optionally wasabi or grated ginger, or cutting it up and putting it in soup.

It doesn't smell fishy... I thought it would with the little shrimp but it doesn't really smell like anything. I cut up a stick last night and used for tempura. It didn't really have any flavor at all and it wasn't chewy like I would've expected something mochi-esque to be. I have some simmering right now in soup for udon.

I often buy unlabelled styrofoam packs covered in cellophane with lots and lots of white logs inside. These are Korean dduk (or ddeok) and are just like mochi, but a bit less chewy.

But dduk comes in so very many guises, sweet and savoury.

To me it sounds as if you are describing sheets of dduk (you get these as part of some Korean meals to wrap food in, I googled the name and they seem to be called 'dduk bo ssam') that have been rolled up. But these would still be chewy.

How about muk (or mook), specifically nokdumuk?
This is white and springy but firm, a bit like mochi but more translucent, and isn't chewy. Doesn't have much flavour either (refreshing in the summer with a sesame/soy/vinegar type dressing and eaten with cucumber). Only thing is, I've only ever seen it in blocks or cut in thick slices, never rolled up with other ingredients.

It sounds like it's a type of rice noodle roll. I see them in Chinatown a lot and they're exactly as you say they are: white logs with tiny shrimp and green onion, rolled. The way my family eats them is two ways:

1) steam and eat with soy sauce
2) pay fry with a bit of egg and eat with hoisin sauce

It sounds like it's a type of rice noodle roll. I see them in Chinatown a lot and they're exactly as you say they are: white logs with tiny shrimp and green onion, rolled. The way my family eats them is two ways:

1) steam and eat with soy sauce
2) pay fry with a bit of egg and eat with hoisin sauce

They are eaten in many parts of Asia with the differences being the thickness of the noodle, type of fillings, and accompaniments.

They are already cooked when you buy them in styrofoam trays. You just need to reheat them so that the rolls become soft again. You don't want boil them because they'll just fall apart into tiny bits. When I'm feeling lazy, I just reheat them in the microwave.

Since university, I've enjoyed cooking my own meals (necessity became enjoyment) and having recently started my first graduate job (meaning low pay, high transportation costs) what better time to use my 'uni skills'. When I came across your website, it was seriously a lifesaver! I didn't hesitate to buy your book when I saw it released at my local Kinokuniya bookstore (I live in Malaysia if you're curious). Thankfully there is rather large japanese community here in Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding suburbs that it is quite easy to get the japanese ingredients.